Love Would See Them Through
by Shlee Verde
Summary: Takes place after NJO:Dark Journey. JacenTenel Ka. I dont think that Jacen is dead. RR


1 Love Would See Them Through  
  
Authors Note: This story takes place after NJO: Dark Journey. I loved that book and how it hinted about the love that exists between Jacen and Tenel Ka. Oh, and I don't think Jacen is really dead – the editors are probably just playing with our heads. I don't think that anybody would be that cruel to the Solo/Skywalker clan – having them lose both Jacen and Anakin, especially after Chewie.  
  
Reviews are welcome but as this is my first fanfic of any sort, please be nice.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Tenel Ka or Jacen or anybody else in this story, I'm just borrowing them from our good friend, George Lucas.  
  
2 Love Would See Them Through  
  
By: Shlee Verde  
  
The Hapan moon shone brightly on the Reef Fortress. Queen Mother Tenel Ka Chume Ta'a Djo was restless. It had been a few days since they had rescued Jacen Solo. Although Tenel Ka was very glad that her closest friend was alive and well, she was troubled greatly – she thought she had sensed Jacen's death. What if their bond wasn't as strong as she had thought. What if her love for his was weak? What if he didn't love her as Jaina had assured her that he did?  
  
Tenel Ka sighed in frustration. She hated questioning herself. She really did. It was the one thing that went against all her personas: Jedi Knight, ruler, and warrior.  
  
Well, she thought straightening her shoulders. I know how to deal with frustration.   
  
The young queen ran off into the night, beginning a refreshing twenty kilometer run.  
  
*****  
  
Tenel Ka finished her run at the small lake near the fortress. She loved running; it cleared her mind. She knew that her love for Jacen was as deep as a Mon Calamari ocean and as strong as her rancor on Dathomir, stronger even. She had loved him since she was fourteen, and now nearly five years later – she still loved him. The one thing she couldn't be sure of was how he felt for her. Not like that was anything new.  
  
As she was gazing out at the water lost in thought, someone behind her spoke, "Hey, what are you doing?"  
  
She whirled, her one hand raised ready to lash out at whoever was there – only to come up short when she saw who it was.  
  
"Whoa, Tenel Ka!" Jacen Solo jumped back. "Sorry. I guess I startled you."  
  
"How do you figure that?" Tenel Ka mumbled quietly, but Jacen heard her and grinned at his friend's tentative humor.  
  
"So...what are you doing?" Jacen asked again.  
  
Tenel Ka turned back to look at the water. "Thinking."  
  
"Oh." There was a moment of silence.  
  
"Remember when we first came to this place?" Tenel Ka asked him. "After I lost my arm?"  
  
"Yeah", Jacen smiled. "That was a lot of fun. Swimming, I mean."  
  
"Fact. I never thought I'd be able to do the tricks I did that day again. That losing my arm had made me a different person. But you taught me differently."  
  
She turned to Jacen. "That's what I was thinking about – how we are always there for each other."  
  
Jacen nodded, absorbing what she said and flushing in slight embarrassment. To cover the uneasy silence, Jacen said "So...do you want to go for a swim?"  
  
Tenel Ka gave him a small smile. "This is a fact."  
  
*****  
  
The two Jedi had been swimming for hours into the night, talking sometimes but mostly enjoying each other's company, at peace with themselves and each other. Jacen looked at Tenel Ka, "Hey, its really late, maybe we should head back."  
  
Tenel Ka nodded reluctantly, "Fact."  
  
"But first..." Jacen grinned at her mischievously. "Race you to the shore!" he shouted and he took off.  
  
"Cheater!" Tenel Ka shouted and took off after him as fast as she could. But Jacen had too large a lead on her and she emerged from the water. Jacen was laughing at his own joke. Tenel Ka glared at him, which only made him laugh harder.  
  
"Cheater," Tenel Ka said again.  
  
Jacen laughed. "Sorry, Queen Mother," he laughed when Tenel Ka glared at him again, "but you have to get up pretty early in the morning to beat Jacen Solo."  
  
"Oh really?" Tenel Ka asked mock dangerously.  
  
"Really." Jacen gave a single nod.  
  
Tenel Ka turned away to hide a smile, it would only encourage Jacen – and forestall her revenge.  
  
"You know, Jacen" she turned around to face her friend, her face straight, "cheaters never win."  
  
Jacen looked at her, confusion evident on his face. "But, I did win."  
  
She grinned softly at him. "Don't be to sure..." –  
  
and she tackled him into the soft grass.  
  
"Hey!" Jacen struggled against his friend's hold, but she was stronger and had  
  
him pinned down. He started laughing, and after a moment Tenel Ka joined in, to Jacen's pleasant surprise.  
  
"So…now what do you think about winning?" Tenel Ka said, smiling at him.  
  
"Well, I won the race," Jacen said, "but I think you have me beat as far as this situation goes. I can't move, Tenel," he said using his nickname for her.  
  
"Sorry," she looked down at him in concern at the same time he looked up at her.  
  
Their eyes met. Cold gray and brandy brown.  
  
Neither moved for a moment. Then Jacen leaned forward and kissed Tenel Ka briefly, tentatively on the lips.  
  
Realizing how forward he was being, Jacen pulled back. Tenel Ka's eyes were full of surprise. He began to apologize, "Tenel, I…"  
  
"It's all right, Jacen."  
  
"But I just…its not against…"  
  
"Jacen." Tenel Ka's eyes were filled with meaning. "It's all right."  
  
She opened her connection with Jacen and let all her emotions: her surprise, her love, her hope, flow through the Force to him. Jacen opened himself to her – revealing the love he had for her – the love he had hidden from everyone, even from himself, and the he had been too afraid to show.  
  
The two of them felt a new bond forming around the old bond of friendship. It was unbreakably strong, stronger than any other Force bond ever heard of. It was a bond of complete self-sacrificing love.  
  
Jacen leaned forward and kissed Tenel Ka again. It was tentative, as before, but Tenel Ka responded and the kiss deepened. Her arm slid around his neck and he put an arm around her waist, the other her ran through her long loose hair.  
  
The need for oxygen forced the two Jedi apart. They looked at each other for a moment, in surprise at what had just happened. Tenel Ka was about to speak, when she heard a shout, "Erenda!"  
  
She quickly jumped to her feet, and help Jacen to his. Moments later her father, Isolder, Jacen's parents and sister, Jaina, and Captain Astarta moved towards them.  
  
"Where have you been, Queen Mother?" Astarta asked. Astarta was in charge of the protection of the royal monarchs and had probably noticed that Tenel Ka was not in her chamber where she was supposed to be.  
  
"I needed time to think in solitude. Is there a problem?"  
  
"No," Isolder looked at his daughter. "We were just concerned that you weren't in your quarters. But, daughter, if you were thinking alone, why is Jacen here?"  
  
Tenel Ka was glad it was dark and that the lamps her friends carried could not pick up her flush. "Oh…he found me and we…talked."  
  
//Among other things// Jacen sent along their new bond. Tenel Ka flushed harder and mock glared at her love.  
  
Jaina, although she could not discern the exact words, knew the nature of her brother's aside to Tenel Ka and felt Tenel Ka's returning humor and slight embarrassment. She smiled to herself Well its about time she thought.  
  
"Come on", Jaina looked at the group around her. "Let's turn in."  
  
*****  
  
It was about one week after that eventful night, and Jacen Solo was nervous. Really nervous. Was he moving too fast? Well, he had known her for almost five years, and they had even kissed once before. But not like that night. Not with such intimacy and passion. Not with the building of a new bond.  
  
He had asked his uncle Luke in hypothetical and the Jedi Master had said he had never heard of such a bond occurring, but he assumed that it would be a strong bond, stronger even then his own bond with his wife, Mara.  
  
That's why he had to talk to her. But how was he going to say what he wanted? What if he passed out? Or couldn't open his mouth and get the words out? What if –  
  
"You wanted to speak to me?" said a soft voice behind him.  
  
Jacen jumped and turned to face Tenel Ka, who had startled him the same way he had startled her the week before.  
  
"We have got to stop doing this to each other!" he said ironically and she gave him a small smile.  
  
"You wanted to speak with me?" Tenel Ka repeated.  
  
"Yes, I …need to ask you something."  
  
"All right." Tenel Ka cocked her head, waiting.  
  
"Not here though. Come on."  
  
She followed him outside. The two walked in peaceful silence. Jacen noticed that although he was very nervous he was completely comfortable with Tenel Ka and she with him, more so than ever before.  
  
They ended up at the lake again. The sun was setting and it was nearly evening.  
  
Tenel Ka looked at Jacen, "What is it, Jacen? Is everything all right?"  
  
Jacen looked at the young queen. "Yes. I just have to tell you something."  
  
She nodded. "Here. Let us sit here in the grass."  
  
Jacen sat next to her in the soft grass. He took a deep breath, "Jaina has always said that I thought too much. She said that I was always looking at everything under all the suns in the galaxy and couldn't focus on right was right in front of my face. She was right. It wasn't until after…I was taken that I realized that I still have feelings for you. After that I was too afraid to say anything.  
  
"But I…I love you Tenel Ka."  
  
Tenel Ka was shocked speechless for a moment. "I love you too Jacen. I always have." Hesitantly, she moved closer to Jacen. He shifted so that she could lean against him. Once she was comfortable, he wrapped his arms around her.  
  
They sat like that for a while in comfortable intimate silence.  
  
Jacen leaned forward putting his mouth close to Tenel Ka's ear. He whispered to her, "Tenel?"  
  
"Yes Jacen, my love?" she whispered back.  
  
"Will you marry me?"  
  
Tenel Ka craned her neck to look at the brown eyes Jedi. She had to see his face. Living in the Hapan political arena would not be easy for her love. There was so much intrigue, so much deception, so much Jedi- hatred. But he was very diplomatic, and both herself and his own mother could help him with the politics. She mentally shook herself. She had to stop thinking so much. She had become a lot like Jacen. Or maybe she was always like him underneath the surface. They loved each other. That was the important thing, love would see them through.  
  
"Yes, Jacen. Yes, I will."  
  
The two smiled at each other and their lips met in a gentle kiss. Both were assured now and had found that assurance, that confidence in each other. They had always been there for each other, and would be forever since there was no death. They would always be together: physically, emotionally, and most completely in the Force.  
  
And love would see them through.  
  
The End. 


End file.
